When adding drill rods to a drill string using conventional drilling systems, the position of the lower rod joint can vary as the drill rig shifts over the hole where drilling is occurring. To account for such variations in position, drill operators are often required to manually push on the drill rod to ensure that the drill rod is properly aligned with the drill string. This creates significant safety risks for drill operators and also reduces the efficiency of drilling operations.
Thus, there is a need in the pertinent art for devices, systems, and methods that provide a hands-free solution for adding drill rods to drill strings.